Lady Lorelai
by JIBBSFOREVER in Paris
Summary: Gilmore Girls set during the medieval time period - Lorelai at court with a ruthless and lewd Christopher as King. She is in a compromising situation - how will she protect those she loves. not for people who like Chris - rating it high because it's going to go there! R/R
1. Chapter 1

**TAKES PLACE IN THE MEDIEVAL TIME PERIOD - I REALLY THINK THIS STORY HAS POTENTIAL - PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK - REVIEW!**

"You know we're going to get in trouble."

The little boy's voice behind her only pushed her further along the wall. "Only if they catch us." She whispered as she pulled him behind her. She kenw they weren't supposed to be out this far in the garden. They were supposed to be where someone could see them at all times. But seven-year-old Lorelai very rarely did what she was supposed to. Her cousin, Edward, was the good one of the two, but she needed someone to lift her up over the wall. Then he could go back to whatever good things he wanted to be doing.

Once they were behind some bushes, she stopped, and said, "Put your hands together."

His naïve eyes widened. "I don't want to climb over…"

She wanted to hit him. "Be quiet! And you don't have to go over. Just help me get over."

When he just stared at her, she reached over and hit him in the arm, "Just do it!" She could hear their nanny calling for them. He reluctantly laced his hands together, creating a step for her to grab the top of the brick wall. She hiked her big dress up and put her now bare feet in his hand, pushing off with her other foot, and launched herself up enough so both of her hands grabbed the top of the wall. Her toes scraped on the wall as she got traction enough to swing up and over the wall. Sitting on the top, she looked down to see Edward running to the nanny. _Tattletale._

Looking down at the drop on the other side, she knew she had to make a leap of it before the nanny saw her. She took a deep breath, and she pushed herself off, landing and tumbling a little before getting up.

She winced as she stood up, but ignored the little pain in her foot. She heard Nanny's voice calling from the other side of the wall, "Lady Lorelai! You get back here this instant!"

But Lorelai was free. She was free to run down the dirt path to the stables, her feet calloused from running around without shoes as much as she could get away with. She hated playing in the garden. All of the children were boring. Edward was always sick. And they just wanted to sit there and read books in the grass, or play with blocks, or something else completely boring. Her brown hair flew behind her as she ran, her skirts in her hands as she breathlessly reached the stables.

She ran in, slowing down so she didn't startle any of the gorgeous horses. Her father had some of the finest horses in the southern part of the country. In fact, Lorelai had heard that only the King's stallions rivaled her father's. Of course, no one could have finer horses than the Kings, but Lorelai thought that someone was mistaken, because these were the most beautiful horses that she could ever imagine.

She ran to her favorite stall. One of the mares. That she loved the most. Because she was a beautiful chestnut, her gorgeous mane perfectly brushed. Lorelai hiked her skirts up yet again and swung herself up and over the stall door, landing with a cloud of dust flying over her. She then ran over to the horse that didn't seemed phased at all.

She had picked out a name for the horse when she found out that her real name was _Desmona._ But Lorelai hated that name. It sounded too prestigious. And she hated prestigious names. Like hers. Why couldn't she have a name like _Anna_ or _Faith?_ But, no, her parents had to give her a name that had been so hard to pronounce it wasn't until she was four that she could pronounce her own name. So the horse's name to Lorelai was Sarah, a plain name that was beautiful and plain.

"Sarah, come here…" She said, nuzzling up to the horse that nuzzled her right back. Lorelai reached into her pocket and grabbed a piece of an apple that had come from her breakfast. She hated eating her fruits and vegetables, so she was more than willing to give the snack to the horse, who gratefully slobbered it out of her hand. Giggling because it tickled, she wiped the slobber off of her hand onto her silk gown, that was covered in dirt.

She jumped, startled by the voice coming from the stall door. "Well, Lady Lorelai, have I informed you that Miss Desmona here is on a diet?"

It was Tom, the man in charge of keeping everything in the stables running smoothly. He wasn't scary. He wasn't going to take her back to the prison that was her life.

Curious, she wondered, "Why is she on a diet?" Lorelai asked, and then she looked back on the horse's growing midsection. "Oh, I see. She does look fat. She must not be eating enough of her vegetables. Because my nanny says that no one will want to marry me if I grow up to be fat because I didn't eat my vegetables. And I tell her that I'm fine with that because I don't want to get married because I want to be a stable keeper just like you."

She saw something flash on the man's face, and he muttered, "Prepping for marriage already…and they wonder why I don't want to be a royal." Then he returned to her face, and said, "Miss Desmona here is going to have a baby – a little foal."

Lorelai's eyes got big and her heart jumped for joy. And her feet jumped too as she clapped her hands so excited. She patted the horse and then she hugged her. "You're going to be a mommy, Sarah." Then she turned back to Tom, and asked, "Will she have a nanny for her foal? Will she come visit her baby when she has time?"

Something again flashed across the man's face, and he said, "The foal will be with her for almost a year before we start to train the foal."

Lorelai looked at Sarah again, and said, "You get to be with your baby for a whole year! That is going to be the best baby in the world Because you're the best horse ever!"

Tom smiled, and then he opened up the stall door, and said, "Come on, young Lady, you're going to get me into trouble if they catch you here twice in one week."

Lorelai leaned over and hugged Sarah one last time and whispered in the horse's ear, "I love you." And then she skipped out of the stall, and out of the stables, giving Tom a hug before she ran up towards the house.

She knew that the nanny would be looking for her, but Lorelai knew the worst punishment she would get would be sitting inside during garden time the next day – and Lorelai didn't understand how garden time was that much fun after being in the stables today. She skipped up the dirt road to the main house, stopping to pick up a flower for nanny, to make her feel better.

She loved looking at the manor from the outside. She hated being in the cold stone building, it was too confining. But the outside of the house was gorgeous. The stone wall went around the entire place, and at the iron gate that was the only opening into the manor, there were two lion heads, which Lorelai always tapped on the head and said, "Sir and Sir, thank you for letting me in." Then she went into the courtyard, where the tall brick castle made her feel so very small. Set in with two towers at each end of the building, one was the tower for her parents and other nobles who came to visit. And the other was where the she was kept, where the nursery was. The back of the castle extended for the servants and kitchen, and the middle was a ballroom and living area – both of which Lorelai was not allowed to go into. She was relegated to the left tower, usually alone unless relatives were visiting.

The grounds were gorgeous, with flowers blooming all over, the grass green and lush. There were places where the carriages could go in and out on the paved stone. This was the place to relax and where she would very often see her mother and father taking a turn about the grounds. Of course she was never to bother them. She was a child. They were Lord and Lady Gilmore, with so many responsibilities that went along with their title.

Lorelai turned to skip back to the garden when she heard her father's voice harshly call her name.

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore."

She froze, knowing that she was in trouble.

"Young lady, turn around here right now." He was closer, and she turned around and he towered above her.

Her father was a tall man, tall compared to her, and tall compared to many people. His face was clean shaven, his voice low. And his face stern and angry. And he was looking at her very firmly.

"What are you doing outside of the garden?" He asked. "And why are you so completely filthy?"

She looked down at her dress, now caked with mud and ripped in many places. Her feet were covered in dirt and straw from the stables, and her hands were also among the things that had dirt on them.

She looked back up at him and answered, "I went down to the stables. I wanted to see Sarah. And I found out that she's having a baby – a foal, and it gets to stay with her for a whole year! Living with her mother for a whole year! Isnt…" And she stopped to cry out when he roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her along towards the main doors of the house.

"Ow… Father, you're…"

"Lorelai you will be quiet right now. I'm going to find your mother."

Her heart stopped beating for a second. "No, not Mother. She will be so angry." She never interacted with her father. And she only interacted with her mother when Lorelai had been doing something wrong and the servants would bring her mother up to correct her. And after seeing her dress, she knew her mother would be furious. "I can just go be with Nanny. I will be good now. I wont.."

But they reached the doors of the house. The servant waiting there opened it, and her father pulled her into the house, where her mother was standing getting her cloak put on to go outside.

Lorelai couldn't look at her mother, knowing she was going to be so angry.

"Richard, what are you doing with Lorelai?"

Her father's voice was angry too. Everything was angry. And people being angry made Lorelai want to cry. But that would make her mother even more angry. Her mother said that crying was for peasants and commoners. A Gilmore woman never cried.

So Lorelai just looked at the ground, her arm really hurting from the way her father was squeezing it.

"I found her out in the garden just roaming around, picking flowers, touching the lion heads." He said, and then let go of her arm and shoved her towards her mother. "We are expecting Lord Charleston any day. How would it look to have our only child running around like a commoner? And looking like she just rolled in the dirt?"

Lorelai felt her mother grab her other arm. She looked up at her father and said, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see the …"

Her mother shook her to be quiet, and Lorelai just wanted to cry. "I will have to talk with the nanny. I will think of a punishment for her." Her mother's voice was icy. That was angry for her mother.

Her father walked away, and said over his shoulder, "If she's the only heir you can give me, Emily, you're going to have to teach her to be a lady. Because behavior like this will ruin my good name and standing with the King."

And he was gone again, leaving scared Lorelai alone with her mother.

Who wasted no time pulling her daughter across the long hall, her long skirt swishing as she walked quickly and angerly. All the while yelling at Lorelai, who's small feet were struggling to keep up with her mother's pace. "You ran out of the garden again, young lady? Why can't you just sit and play quietly with your cousins?"

"Because they're really boring, mother. I don't like…"

Emily grasped her arm harder, and this time Lorelai couldn't hide the tears that came from the pain, "It doesn't matter what you like. It matters what you have to do. Trust me, the sooner you learn this lesson, the less pain you are going to suffer."

"Mother, you're hurting my arm." She cried, tears rolling down her face.

"Maybe that will teach you to think before you act next time, Lorelai." There was no hint of letting up on her arm, "You're going straight to bed for the rest of the day."

"But, mother, we haven't even had lunch yet." She said. Meals were her favorite. And she hated to miss food. Much less two meals of the day.

They had reached the nursery, where Nanny was looking up from the other children.

"Lady Gilmore, I am so sorry. She ran off again and I couldn't…"

Lorelai didn't hear any of the conversation because her mother had completely ignored the servant, instead pulling Lorelai into her room. "This is the last straw. You are to stay in your room for the rest of the night, with no food. And you are not allowed out of your room tomorrow except to go eat. And you will stay here until I am not angry anymore. Which is going to be a long time."

And she finally let go of Lorelai's aching arm. "But mother, I didn't…"

She could tell that her mother was going to hit her. But then she stopped and just said, "In fact, I don't want to see you for a very long time. You have to learn to act like a lady. Or you'll be locked in your room until you do." And with that, Lorelai watched as her mother slammed the door to her room.

She heard some yelling on the other side of the door, her mother yelling at the nanny. But Lorelai wasn't listening. Because she was crying, rubbing her arm, and wondering if her mother would ever let her out of her room.


	2. Chapter 2

**I HOPE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT INTEREST SOME - I HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LEAVE A REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.**

 **THIS IS MY OWN WORLD OF COURT AND NOBLES AND ROYALS - SO ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN HERE IS MOSTLY MADE UP OR WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM HISTORY CLASS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING**

Nine Years Later

"Your mother to see you, Lady Lorelai."

Lorelai wanted to cringe. She wanted to tell her maid, Kenna, to tell her mother that she was indisposed. But she knew Mother would never believe it. So she did the polite and proper thing, "You can show her in, Kenna."

"Yes, my lady." Came the sweet reply from the quiet woman.

Kenna had been Lorelai's servant since she had moved out of the nursery two years ago, on her 14th birthday. Coming from a broken home out in the countryside under her father's rule, Kenna had been overjoyed to come and live in the house, sleep in the room adjoining Lorelai's, and be there to serve Lorelai whenever she needed help. Lorelai still remembered when Kenna told her that she was glad to come and serve here because back home, there were times they didn't know if the family would eat their next meal. Lorelai was glad that Kenna had come to her and not been sent to be her mother's servant. Because her mother was at best temperamental and at worst, cruel.

"Darling," Mother's voice startled Lorelai out of her reverie.

Lorelai stood from her dressing table where she had been having her hair done, and she turned to face her mother. Curtsying, as was the custom to anyone older than her, she then asked the polite first questions, "Are you well, mother?"

Mother nodded her head, and said, "I am well if it weren't for the absolute idiots I must deal with in our trip to court."

 _She's in a bad mood._ Lorelai thought and hoped that her mother would only be there for a few minutes before leaving. _But she never comes to see you without an agenda_.

Mother continued, "I don't know how many times I have to tell my maids how to fold my clothes in my trunk. It does no good arriving at court with beautiful and expensive clothes that are wrinkled beyond repair."

Her mother never came across like she didn't have everything in control. Her hair, pulled up under her headpiece, was perfect, had every strand in place, not even a wisp falling out. Her long, flowing dress fit perfectly, although Lorelai knew her mother had trouble every morning putting on her corset. But that was just gossip through the servant vine that Kenna had told her one morning after Lorelai's mother had been particularly mean to her daughter.

"Do you want me to send Kenna to help your servants?" Lorelai asked, not out of concern for her mother, but just to irritate her mother a little. "She folds my gowns perfectly without a wrinkle to be found."

Mother looked at her, and said, "I think it's under control now." The words came out short and snappy.

Lorelai just stood there, not knowing why her mother had come to see her, but not wanting to outright ask, because her mother would decide to draw out the visit to her daughter's room – and that was something that Lorelai would avoid as much as possible.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Lorelai, you need to learn some things before going to court."

She wanted to roll her eyes at her mother. _I've only been training for going to court for as long as I can remember._ They left in two days, to go to the palace where her father needed to conduct business. And, as all royals, they were expected to appear before the king, to stay ing the palace for as long as the king deemed necessary. The last time her father and mother had gone to court, they had been gone for almost six months. But, as her parents had told her many times, she would be expected to stay there until they found a proper match for her to marry. All royal women were presented to the court and then kept in the palace to interact with nobility and royals.

"What else is there to learn, Mother?" Lorelai asked, turning from her mother to look out the window, wishing that their conversations about going to the palace would end soon.

A sinister voice come out of her mother's mouth, "You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."

Lorelai turned around, her face confused, "What are you talking about? I have been told that going to court is a privilege, something to be tackled, something to be taken seriously… why do you come today and treat me like I have no idea what is going to happen."

Her mother walked over to the window seat, and sat down, her long dress cascading down and around her feet. "You are so naïve." She stared right into Lorelai's eyes.

"What?" Lorelai had no idea where her mother was coming from.

"You talk to your servants like they are your friends." Her mother started, nodding at Kenna in the corner. "You sneak out and go to the stables to be with those dirty horses. Not only do you go to the stables, but you walk there in your bare feet." Lorelai was starting to realize just how much her parents had been watching her. "You have been caught down in the kitchen, talking with the servants over a meal instead of taking your meals in your room or with your father and I when we invite you to dine with us."

Her mother seemed to stop. And Lorelai asked, "And what is your point, Mother?"

Anger flashed to her mother's eyes, which startled Lorelai, who knew that when her mother's anger was out of control, it wouldn't end well.

Rising to her feet, her mother said, "My point, Lorelai, is that if you act that way in court, you're never going to find someone who will want to marry you. You'll only attract the peasants, the commoners."

 _That wouldn't be so bad, would it? Then I could be myself with him._ But of course she didn't say that.

Her mother continued, "As you know, your father has been arranging things with many of the noblemen in court. It is important that you find a man with power and prestige, someone who will appreciate the wonderful power that you will have once married." Her mother gestured out the window, "All of your father's land is yours to inherit once you are married – and there are many men who are willing to marry you just for his power that he holds."

This was nothing that Lorelai hadn't heard before. She knew that because of the power that her father held in court, with the king and other noblemen, that her hand in marriage was sought after by many men. And she knew that it wasn't until a Lady was presented in court that men could offer to make a deal over her marriage.

"Mother, I know all of this." She said plainly.

Her mother was now standing right next to her, and Lorelai looked up into her mother's eyes, confused as to why this was still a subject of conversation. Touching her face, her mother said, "You are so beautiful, Lorelai. Compared to the other women in court, you are the real catch."

Lorelai opened her mouth to again ask why this was a conversation they were having. But her mother just kept talking, "There will be men at court who will look at you and see only your beauty."

Lorelai now knew where she was going. Well, at least she thought she knew until her mother said, "The most valuable part of you in the deals with your marriage is that you are pure. If you are not a virgin, you are worthless to your father and I."

 _I really hope you are not saying that I am worthless to you without my virginity…_

Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother finished, "Lorelai. This is important. You must always protect yourself against any men who try and take your worth away." Lorelai nodded. "But you must never let the man know that you are refusing him."

All thoughts of understanding vanished from Lorelai's head. "What? So I am to protect myself but not let them know?"

Her mother turned away from her, and walked to the door. "You must keep yourself from compromising situations."

And then her mother's last words after talking so in depth with her about such a sensitive topic were, "Wear your blue dress when we go to court."

And she was gone.

Leaving Lorelai still confused, stunned, and saddened at her mother's words.


	3. Chapter 3

**PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS - IM NOT SURE IM GOING TO CONTINUE THIS STORY - BUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO!**

The carriage ride was horribly bumpy, further aggravating Lorelai's nerves. After hours of travel, the lurching of the carriage, and the incessant babbling of her mother was enough to make Lorelai feel ill. Compounding the ailing of the trip, every time the carriage hit a bump, Lorelai felt her stomach jump with the thought of what awaited her at the end of the ride. The fact that the nobles would be there, her father would go before the king, and he would then present her before the king and all of court.

So when the carriage came to a halt, and she heard the commotion of servants outside, she could barely breathe.

Her father stepped out first, followed by her mother. Taking the silence of the moment to collect herself, she took a deep breath before she opened the curtain, took the hand offered to her by the coachman, and then she stepped out, the sun blinding her for a minute.

And then her breath was taken away.

The castle was magnificent. The expansive building seemed as tall as physically possible, towers going up all over, windows littering all of the brick buildings. Flags flew from every place on the castle, some even standing on the lawn. Her yes moved from the castle to the crowd of people there on the walkway to the palace. People were watching her, as she set her foot on the ground of the castle grounds. She could see people lined along the great pathway, and at the end of the pathway, she could see one person walking down the path. As he walked down the path, everyone who was lining the path bowed or curtsied.

She saw her father walk to meet the man walking, her father taking a deep bow. And her mother followed him in her own curtsy. And then they turned to her.

Lorelai felt as if her knees were shaking – visibly. Her hands were sweating. And she could barely breathe. But she steadied herself and took one step forward. And another, until she was standing in front of him.

The king.

She heard her father's voice saying, "May I present my daughter, Lady Lorelai Gilmore to your highness, King Christopher Hayden II, ruler of France."

And she curtsied, her head coming down low. And she looked up to see him. And he took her hand, and kissed it, his lips lingering on her hand while he looked into her eyes.

And he said, "Lord Gilmore, you failed to mention just how beautiful your daughter is."

His head was adorned in a crown. He was wearing a kingly robe, that came down all around him. He was taller than she was, which was saying something because her mother always told her she was too tall. His eyes found hers, their light blue gaze pulling her in. Until his eyes left hers and followed the line of her body down, and then back up, where he smiled at her. A smile that she knew should have made her smile, because it was from her king. But something about him made her uncomfortable.

Thankfully, his next words were to her father, "Lord Gilmore, I shall leave you until dinner tonight. There is a celebration tonight for the arrival of many young women who are coming to court." He was talking to her father, but he turned to look at her when he said, "I look forward to dining with you tonight."

And then he turned and walked away.

The rest of the day was a blur. Her mother was so happy with the impression she had given to the king. Her father didn't say anything. Soon she found herself escorted through the castle around turns and curves and staircases that she wondered whether she would ever find her way out of the castle again. She was given her own room with a dressing room, sitting room, and servants room for Kenna to sleep in. Her parents were nowhere close to her room, and she was actually fine with that. It had been that way her whole life. She felt no real attachment to her parents anyway. They had never raised her to be close to them.

The servants brought her trunks of clothes and other items to the room. Kenna immediately started to unpack her things, while Lorelai looked through the rooms.

The sitting room was beautiful, with exotic tapestries lining the walls and elaborate carpets covering the stone floor. Complete with a settee and chairs, it looked so elaborate compared to her room at home. She then moved into the dressing room, where all of her clothes were being hung, all of her jewelry laid out on the tables that were in there, her shoes being lined against the wall. In the corned was a basin large enough to fit three of her in it, and she realized that it was a bath. She started to wonder where they would get enough water to fill that, but she moved on. From the dressing room she walked into the bedroom, the most enormous and gorgeous of them all. Instead of woven carpets, skins of exotic animals lines the floor, her feet sinking into the warmth and soft textures. On one of the walls, there was a balcony, that she found out opened out to over the gardens. The glass doors that covered the balcony let light come streaming into the room, giving her no need for candlelight during the day in this room. And then her eyes moved to the bed. It was at least twice the size of her bed at home. And it looked soft, all of the pillows, huge blankets covering what looked to be a soft mattress.

Lorelai knew Kenna was watching her take it all in when Kenna said, "You should jump on it."

And she did. Kicking off her shoes, she ran twaords the bed, a laugh escaping out of her mouth as she jumped and fell into what seemed like a cloud, her skirts going everywhere, the pillows plopping up into the air before landing completely skewed. Her body sank into the covers, and she knew she would never want to get up out of this bed in the morning.

She then looked up to where Kenna was smiling from the dressing room, and Lorelai said, "Your turn."

Kenna didn't even hesitate, and Lorelai didn't expect her to. Kenna threw her shoes off and ran towards the other side of the bed, jumping and falling, sending Lorelai bouncing as the other body landed on the bed. Kenna laughed and said, "Who would want to get out of this bed ever?"

Lorelai smiled and said, "I must say it would give my mother a complete heart attack if she walked in to find you here in my bed and me in yours."

They both giggled, just lying there, staring at the ceiling.

Lorelai spoke first, "I can't believe I'm here. I just met the king." She was still blown away by what that had felt like. He was so powerful, but he had made her feel special.

Kenna also said, "I can't believe I'm here. My father is a blacksmith and here I am, in the king's palace."

Lorelai smiled, thankful to have someone from home that knew, someone to share things with. And she started, "I wish I knew how things worked here at court. I mean, I must find someone to wed me, but I must do it without appearing to be a loose woman. And what if someone I do not care for asks my father for my hand? I hate thinking about spending the rest of my life with someone who I don't like."

"Surely your father would not make you marry someone you do not love."

Lorelai smiled at how wonderful that sounded. "Oh, Kenna, I wish I thought like you." She turned to her friend and said, "But he will only think of his lands and power. He will find a man who can give him more power with a marriage union."

Kenna's voice was sad. "He will not think to ask you what you think of the man?"

Lorelai remembered when she had asked her father that same question. "He says that love is not a necessity in a marriage. One can produce an heir without real love. And as a woman, that is my responsibility. He says not to let love get in the way of the end game."

She felt Kenna's hand reach into hers, and she whispered, "I feel so incredibly sad for you right now."

And Lorelai nodded her head, and said, "I think I feel sad constantly. Knowing that my parents see me only as a bargaining chip to increase their prestige – that weighs heavily on a girl's mind." She remembered all of the talks her mother had given her about her duty as a daughter. "Perhaps that is why I envy you, my dear Kenna."

Kenna looked surprised, "You envy me, my lady?"

Looking back at the ceiling, Lorelai explained, "You had a hard life. And although I think that you would make an excellent Lady Kenna, I wouldn't wish the life that I am destined to on you. Because you have the choice. You meet a lovely young boy that makes your heart skip when you see him, and you have the ability to marry him, to birth his children, to live together in happiness and love for the rest of your life." Then she looked back at her friend and said, "I would give anything to have that opportunity."

"I understand."

They laid there for a few minutes, contemplating their different situations in life, and then Kenna startled up when she remembered, "We have to get you ready for your first night in court."

Pretending to whine, Lorelai said, "But the bed is so comfortable. I don't know…"

Kenna instructed the servants outside the door to draw her a bath, making sure that the water was nice and warm because of the chill that the stone brick all over gave off. She then helped Lorelai out of her traveling clothes.

Lorelai stepped into the warm bath, sinking her foot into the warm, bubbly water. And then her other foot, then her legs slid down into the basin, and then her torso, the warmth creeping up her body as she slid farther and farther down into the water. Soon just her head peeked out of the bubbles, and she closed her eyes from exhaustion. But as she felt herself falling asleep, she woke herself up, knowing all she had to do was slide into the water while she was sleeping and she could drown.

Kenna came over and helped her wash her hair, and then helped her dry off, put on her dressing gown, and worked a towel through her brown hair to help it dry so they could put it up for the party tonight.

Then Kenna started asking her which dress she wanted to wear.

"What about the green one with the diamonds in the corset?" Kenna asked.

Lorelai shook her head, "That one gave me a rash last time." She laughed at the face Kenna made, "The diamonds are a great idea in clothing, but when they rub up against your body it kind of hurts."

"What about the red lace one?"

"No." Lorelai said without hesitation.

Confused, Kenna asked, "Why on earth not? It's a beautiful dress and it looks amazing on you."

"My mother likes it. So I don't want to wear it."

Laughing ensued from the dressing room, and then Kenna said, "I've got it!"

She walked out carrying the white dress.

Lorelai nodded, and said, "Perfect."

Thankfully, Lorelai didn't have to wear a corset. She was so thankful for that, because she hated feeling constricted. But she had always been so skinny that she was able to get away with not wearing one, even though her mother was sure that she always had one on. Kenna helped Lorelai into the dress, lacing the back up around her shoulders.

Kenna did her hair, white flowers braided into the brown curls, causing her head to look like a waterfall, curls tumbling down with flowers following. A light bit of strawberry juice on her lips made her blue eyes pop off of the light skin of her face.

Lorelai looked into the mirror and she immediately knew they had chosen the perfect dress. The sleeves of the dress were in a light toile, and came only a few inches off of her shoulders before the toile flowed off of her arms, creating almost straight wings flowing down the sides of her body. The bodice was tightly fitted, not too low to show too much, but not too high that nothing showed. The material was gathered right underneath her chest, and then flowed to match the toile at her arms. The whole look put together made her look like she was floating through the air, each movement fluid and effortless.

And then Kenna reached over her head and secured a small diamond pendant across her neck. And Lorelai looked in the mirror and Kenna's eyes met hers. And Kenna said, "I think you might just make every man in court fall in love with you."


	4. Chapter 4

"Can I get you more wine, your Highness?"

Christopher didn't even acknowledge the cupbearer but just thrust his cup outwards until the servant took it from his hand. He hated these parties. If it wasn't for the wine and women, he would have killed himself long before.

He sat on his throne looking over the people in the large banquet hall. He must have looked bored when his advisor and close friend, Duke Jason Styles, asked, "See anyone you like?"

Christopher just rolled his eyes and said, "I've seen them all before. The doe-eyed girls who seem completely willing to do whatever you want them to do." He could have any woman in the country that he wanted. As the king, he used his power to experience many women – and they would throw themselves on him, desperately wanting him to care for them. But he was happy with just one or two nights with them. He didn't need anyone else.

Jason smirked, "You do have the expertise in the subject of young girls doing what you want them to do."

The king smiled, but it was a smile void of happiness. And he said, "I want for a spirited girl, someone to challenge me." His late wife, having died in childbirth, had been just a bit of a spitfire, requiring his strong hand to subdue her. And all of the women around his age, fifty, were too complacent and boring in the bedroom. So he stuck with the younger, more naïve girls, who he knew were easy prey for his power.

And it was at that moment that he noticed someone walking into the room. He sat up as he watched her cross the banquet hall. She was just so beautiful. And Jason must have followed where he was staring.

"I see someone has caught the king's eye."

Her dress flowed around her body, his imagination running wild what it would be like to be under those folds of material. And her hair. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair while he ravished her mouth, staring into her deep blue eyes. Eyes that held something. Yes, innocence, but something that needed to be discovered.

It had been a while since he had felt this… excitement… but there was more than excitement. It was something he had to find. Something to conquer.

Without removing his eyes from the visage in the crowd, he took a sip of wine, and then said to Jason, "Have her brought to my chambers tonight."

Jason knew what he meant. He should know. It wasn't a rare occasion that he wanted a woman sent to his room. But this was one of the first times that it would be the daughter of a Lord. And Lord Gilmore held much power in the finances of the country. Something that made Christopher feel power in having his daughter brought to him.

And he drank more wine. Watching her interact with nobles, his heart jumping when she would speak with a man.

As the evening came to an end, and he stumbled to his chamber, he knew he had too much alcohol. _But if anyone can have an excuse to drink and have fun, the king should._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lorelai waltzed into her room, and said to Kenna who was waiting for her, "I don't think I've ever had a more enjoyable time in my life."

"Tell me all about it!" Kenna exclaimed, sitting up and paying attention.

Lorelai threw herself onto the settee, her dress flying all ways. "It was beautiful. So many people, so many things to talk about!" She laughed and said, "I met the prince of England, Prince William!"

"You didn't!" Kenna said, and then asked, "What did you say?"

Dreamily, Lorelai said, "He asked me about how I liked court. He asked me to dance for almost every dance. He was really sweet." Then she got a scandalous look on her face, and said, "And he was very handsome if you ask me!"

Lorelai continued to talk as Kenna helped her out of her dress and into her nightgown. "The music was beautiful. It was like another world in there. Men talked to me, treating me like I was a queen. I was introduced to so many people, and I loved it. All of the gowns were beautiful. I loved it."

Kenna helped her get into her bed, the covers already turned down for her to crawl into. And Kenna said, "And you were so worried about tonight."

Lorelai looked at her and said, "I know living here at court isn't going to be as easy as tonight was, because tonight was a party. And the politics of court are overwhelming." Then she laid her head back against the soft pillows, and said, "But I think I just might be able to find someone who really could care for me."

Kenna blew out the candles, and said, "Goodnight, my lady."

But Lorelai was already asleep, dreaming of grand dresses and wonderful men and everything else she had assimilated in her first day at court.

She didn't know how long she slept. But she knew when she awoke. She couldn't breathe. And then she felt the hand around her mouth, stifling her screams and cries for help. The hand was strong, and then she felt herself being dragged across the bed to the wall. And she immediately started kicking and trying to grab the person behind her.

She heard a voice whisper into her ear, "Lady Gilmore, stop struggling. You will not be harmed."

 _Like I'm going to believe that when you're dragging me out of my bed._

Suddenly she found herself in a cold damp place, it was almost like they had walked through the wall. The door to her room closed leaving her in complete darkness in what she could only think to be a hidden tunnel. All castles had them, at least that was the legend. She still fought, pushing against what seemed to be a very strong man.

 _Where are they taking me? What are they going to do to me?_ She refused to cry, not willing to let them know how scared she was.

Just as suddenly as the light had disappeared, a candle appeared around an open door. And the hand that had been grabbing her mouth and the hand that held her hands behind her back released her, flinging her to the stone ground without any thought for the pain it caused to her body as she fell.

Turning back around, she found herself staring at a wall. A stone wall. It was like the man had vanished into thin air.

Pushing herself to her feet, she looked around to find where she was. Her feet were cold on the stone ground, and her sheer nightgown gave no warmth from the dampness that the barely lit room gave off. She pulled her arms around her chest, crossing them in front of her, willing her hands to stop shaking.

The room was only lit with one candle, sending shadows up everywhere along the walls. The room, huge and dark, seemed like a cave. But she could make out a chair in the corner. And along the long wall right in front of her she could make out a bed. A bed covered with long hanging curtains.

And now Lorelai started to shake. Because, yes, it was scary being ripped from your bed, dragged through tunnels, and thrown into a room and left there. But it was even more terrifying to be left in what appeared to be a bedroom.

Then she heard a voice coming from the chair in the dark corner. "I have to apologize for their behavior." _His voice, I recognize it. I don't know where…_ She couldn't make out any features of the man, but she could see the outline of him sitting there in the chair. His voice was pompous, demeaning, and frightening. "I have asked them to be gentle, but sometimes they just get carried away."

She couldn't let him see how scared she was. And she just said, "Who are you?" Surprisingly, her voice came out strong. _Must be all the times I had to speak to father when I was scared with what punishment he would give me._

A laugh. Not a wicked laugh. Just a laugh. "You don't remember me? We met this morning."

Searching her memories of the day, she tried to think through the men that she had met that…

He stood to his feet, his boots clicking on the floor as he stepped into the light.

 _King Christopher._

She knew she was supposed to show him some respect. She knew she needed to curtsy to show him the honor deserved a king. But it must have been the fact that she was standing in his bedchambers, in her nightgown, barefoot, and shivering that she refused to show him respect.

A sneer came to his bearded face, his light blue eyes echoing in the firelight. He was tall. Much taller than she was. And he was dressed only in a dressing robe, which made him feel so much more powerful than her in her light nightgown.

"You refused to honor your king?" He asked, tension in his voice.

Lorelai knew what she should do. She knew she should be scared. She knew she should be begging him to forgive her for forgetting to show him respect. But she was angry. And she didn't do a good job at hiding it when her words flew out of her mouth, a quiet edge to them, "I refuse to honor a man who would have me dragged out of my bed in the middle of the night."

He seemed taken aback by her response, and he stepped closer to her. She didn't move away from him, holding her ground. And he looked down into her eyes, and he asked, "Are you not scared of me, girl?"

Holding her chin up, refusing to look afraid, she just said, "Scared of someone who waits for night to do his dirty work? What is there to be afraid of?" Her mother was always telling her that her mouth was going to get her into trouble someday. And Lorelai was pretty sure that today was that day when she watched the king respond.

"I could have you executed right this very moment if I wanted to." His words should have sounded angry, or hostile, but they came out like he was taunting her, waiting to see how far she would go.

And she went there. "For what? For questioning a man in the dark who calls me from my bed at his command? For rebuking a man who brings me to his bedchamber?"

To her confusion, he turned away from her, and said, "You intrigue me, Lorelai Gilmore." And then he waved his hand. She then felt someone behind her, and she moved her arms before her arms were grabbed. And she just said, "I will not be handled like an animal."

A small laugh came from the king, who then said, "Just escort her back to her room."

A few minutes later she found herself in her room, standing by her bed that she had been pulled from only a few minutes before. She didn't know what to do. Or what to make of what had just happened. Of course, she was glad that she had not been compromised, but she felt terror in her that the king felt he had the power to have her deposited in his room at his command.


	5. Chapter 5

"Lord Gilmore, your daughter, Lady Lorelai is here as you have asked."

Richard looked up from his writing table, and said, "See her in." He blotted his pen and finished his letter to the King of England just as the door opened again and his servant led his daughter into the sitting room of Richard's chambers. "I will be right with you, Lorelai." He folded the letter, and stamped it with the Gilmore seal before handing it to his servant. "See that a messenger is sent off for immediately to deliver this."

He then turned to where his daughter stood. And he smiled at her lovely face. _The face that had won him all the riches in the world._ "How are you enjoying your time at French court?"

She smiled but it looked like a smile that her mother would have given him. "It is quite the playing field, father."

He motioned for her to have a seat on one of the chairs. She sat, her long gown resting on the floor, and she tossed the curls that hung over her shoulder to her back. _She doesn't know how much her beauty has given her every opportunity to be a great woman in the world._ "That it is, my daughter. Court is nothing more than a…"

"…game of chess." She finished, and then said, "I never understood that saying until coming here to the castle."

Now it was time for his news. Richard had never lived to see his daughter happy. He never brought her presents when he came home from his travels abroad. He was never one to allow his daughter to interact with him other than for something important. Even her birthday had been celebrated with her cousins and playmates, but never with him. For he was much too important to concern himself with her frivolous wants and whims. He was much too busy attempting to broaden his borders, glean more monetary holdings in France, and make all those nobles around him know that Lord Gilmore was not one to be trivialized.

And today was no different. He wasn't hoping to elicit excitement, happiness, joy, or anything from his daughter. He had merely called her here to inform her of what would happen in the future.

"As you know, the reason that you are here at court is for me to find you a husband, someone worthy of the Gilmore name and wealth."

She nodded her head politely. "Yes, Father, I am aware of that."

He continued, looking at the contract on his desk. "You have done your part well. In the week that you have been here in court, I have entertained not one, not two, but three offers from very prestigious men with high titles and ranking."

She looked surprised, "Father, that many? I thought it would take longer for…."

"You have played the part well, Lorelai. They were charmed by your innocence and enticed by your beauty."

What he thought would have made her blush or at least smile made her shudder. _But that's no mind. She doesn't have to like anything at all._ "I had an offer from the king's advisor, Duke Jason Styles, who hold much power here at French court."

She didn't react.

"I was also contacted by the King Christopher himself just last week, the day after the party."

Her hands shook. And she waited for him to say the last name.

"And the final offer came from King Henry of England. For you to wed his son, Prince William, who is next in line to inherit the crown of England."

He thought she would be celebrating, as he had that night. All of these offers exceeded his expectation of what his daughter could bring to him. He had never dreamed that one, let alone two kings, had offered to wed his daughter.

"So having all these choices, I had to weigh out the benefits that would come to me if I accepted them." She fiddled in her seat, but he continued, "Well, of course Duke Styles was not an option, because he is not a king. And King Christopher's offer would bring us complete union with the French king, who would defend our lands if they came under attack. And in exchange for that, he would have access to the financial stability that you would provide him from our family name."

Lorelai interrupted, "Father, I do not want to marry King Christopher. He is so much older than I am, he is 51, and I am 16. And he is not the man I want to marry." Her voice, sharp and jagged, stunned him.

 _How dare she give her opinion on such an important matter._ "Lorelai, these arrangements are not for you to want them. These are to secure our future in the favor with royalty, to take power where we would have none without the marriage."

"I will not…"

He cut her off, standing to his feet, angry. "You know nothing of these matters. You will do what you are told. Marry who you are told to marry. And you will produce an heir that will ensure Gilmore power in the kingdoms."

She didn't say another word. But her jaw was locked, and the fire in her eyes was enough to make Richard want to slap her back into her place as the daughter.

"But I have not accepted either of these offers." Relief flooded her face. "Although the King of France fought me on the issue, I had to side with the country that would increase our wealth. King Henry offered to bring English aid to my lands if we were ever under attack. He has also offered to pay a handsome price for you, because his son has found you to be very engaging."

She let out her breath, like she had been holding it in. And she said, "Prince William is very agreeable."

He nodded, "It wouldn't have mattered if you thought that or not, but I am glad for your sake that you have agreed to this." He turned back to the pages in front of him, which were the engagement agreements. "You will be engaged for a year before we talk of marriage. He will return to England, and you will remain here at French court. Here you will learn how to behave as the queen you will soon become. And when the wedding date occurs, you will sail to England and be married the day you arrive, and you will then begin your life as William's wife."

"Will I be able to see Prince William before he leaves for England?"

Richard shook his head, "No, he has already sailed off. I will sign the engagement papers which will then be sent to his father in England."

He went back to his paperwork. He actually forgot that she was still there when he looked up to see her with tears down her face.

Instead of pity, he felt anger at her. And he voiced it, standing to his feet where he towered above her, "What do you have to cry about? This marriage will make you the next queen of England. Do you know how much work I have done to arrange this? Have you no respect for your father?"

She didn't look up at him. She just stared at her hands, and then wiped her tears away. And she whispered, "I just wish I had more time."

"More time for what? Running around? Acting like a child? Acting like this doesn't matter?"

She shook her head, and then looked up at him with tears rolling down her face, and she quietly said, "No, to get to know my future husband before we are wed." She caught her breath and then said, "I always hoped that the man I would marry would at least be a friend of mine, someone that I knew things about him, instead of just a man with a name and a smile I remembered."

Disgusted with her show of emotion, Richard turned away from her and said, "You are dismissed, Lorelai."

As she wiped her face, she stood up and walked over towards him. "Thank you, father, for taking so much time to find the best man for me." Her voice was shaking.

He didn't even turn around to acknowledge her, and he said, "I care nothing for finding you a man. I care only to find what is the best offer for our lands and wealth."

He felt her hand on his arm, and he turned around, incensed by the touch.

And she said, "I wish you would look at me as your daughter and not as your pawn." Her voice was calm and cool, clear with her meaning.

But Richard had enough. "You are a pawn, Lorelai. You are a woman, and the only good you can bring is to be married to the highest ranking official and bear children to secure our holdings."

Tears were rolling. "But, Father, I am your daughter? Do you feel no connection to me? Do you even love me?" She had slipped her hands into both of his, almost begging him to hold her.

But he pulled his hands away, and said, "I have no place for love in my heart for you. You are not meant to be loved. You are meant to do your duty to your family."

She looked like he had knocked the breath out of her. Her face was pained, her tears flowing, her hands shaking.

And he needed to get back to his contracts. So he dismissed her for the second time that day, "You are dismissed."

And this time she hurried out of the room, soon leaving him alone with the papers that signed her fate away. And he was happy that he didn't have to deal with his blubbering, emotion-craving daughter anymore. Soon she would be off of his hands, and no longer his worry.


	6. Chapter 6

Christopher was incensed. And he was letting his anger out in his room. Screaming and yelling. "How dare he refuse my offer! Who does he think he is? I am the King of France, the great ruler of one of the greatest countries in the world!"

He grabbed his goblet of wine and hurled it across the room, where it shattered on the wall. "He dares to sign a treaty with the king of England while I, his king, offer him just as good of a proposition. And I am king now. His daughter would be the queen of France on the day of our wedding." His sword lay on the chair, which he picked up and started stabbing the chair, feathers and material flying everywhere. "I will not be mocked in my own castle. He will not get away with this."

Ever since that night, he had dreamed about her. The girl who dared to speak against the king. The girl with the eyes of fire. The girl that would not treat him like he was a king – but treated him like he was the one in the wrong for bringing her to his chambers. The girl who had enough spirit to make things interesting.

And now she was engaged to someone else.

And he stopped thrusting his sword, and he realized that just because she was betrothed to someone else that he could not still get what he wanted. If he could just show her that he cared about her, that she wasn't just another girl to him – that she was something he needed to conquer. If he could succeed in that, maybe her father would change his mind.

He called his servants, who brought his cloak and crown. He was then off in search of the young maid Lorelai.

He started to go to her room, which was on the other side of the castle, but he heard someone weeping on one of the servant's staircase. He wouldn't have thought it peculiar, except that he heard her voice. She was talking with someone. And he listened, glad to hear her voice.

"Kenna, he told me that he didn't love me. My father."

"Oh, he must not have meant it. Maybe…"

Lorelai's voice, choked with emotion, said, "I guess I've always known that he never cared for me. He never wanted to see me as a child. And he never cared what I wanted when I grew up." She started to sound calmer. "But I guess now I will not have to be a burden to him. Now I am someone else's problem."

Tears again ensued, and then she asked who Christopher assumed was her maid, "Kenna, can I just be alone for a little bit. I know that once word gets out that I'm engaged to a prince, I am going to be overwhelmed with Mother and everything that comes with her."

Quickly hiding behind one of the many stone pillars, he watched as her maid exited the servant stairs and walked away and around the corner.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up the stairs to where she was sitting against the wall, her knees up, and her face lying on her knees. He smiled when he saw her bare feet, still the rebel she was.

At the creak of the stairs, she looked up, and fear filled her eyes as she jumped to her feet. Wiping her eyes, she curtsied, her head bowing to him.

He knew how to get to young girls. He knew how to make them feel wanted. And he tried.

"Lady Lorelai, are you hurt?" He asked, moving closer to her at an angle, so she was forced ot back into the corner of the staircase.

She shook her head, and said, "No, I'm fine, your Highness." She wouldn't meet his eyes. And all he wanted to see were her eyes. The eyes that would tell him that everything he was going to do would be ok because of how beautiful she was.

He was now standing above her, all her ways of escape gone. "I heard you crying."

Still the snarky one, she snapped, "I was not aware that I was to inform his Highness when I cried."

She meant to drive him away, but it was like a moth to a flame. And he extended his arm so it was leaning against the wall, quite close to her face. And he leaned in closer to her, smelling her perfume that made him want her all the more.

"I was not aware that you were so beautiful, Lorelai." He said, looking her over from head to toe and then back up again. "I think you would make a wonderful Queen of France, my darling."

Anger filled her face, and she tried to push him away, her hands pushing against his chest, "I am engaged to someone else. Leave me…"

But she never finished her sentence, because he had grabbed her mouth and met his to her. He drank in the beauty that flowed from her mouth, the salty taste of her tears on her mouth, the virgin mouth that tried to pull away from him, but he held her in place. Her head was against the wall, and he was in front of her. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and her eyes flew open, and she tried to close her mouth to him. He kept working with his tongue while playing with her lip with his teeth. And when he had tasted just enough to satisfy him for the rest of the morning, he pulled away.

She closed her eyes, her chest heaving as she breathed fast and fearful. Her fingers touched her mouth, as if to make sure they were still there. She again pushed against him. "Leave me alone. I don't want this to happen. Leave…"

He leaned up to her ear, and whispered, "I could have you if I wanted you."

And then he stepped away. And she ran away, her skirts fluttering while her bare feet hit the stone as she ran down the hall and around the corner.

He just smiled in accomplishment. He had done the first step. Tonight would be the final step. After tonight, Lord Gilmore would have no choice but to accept his offer.


	7. Chapter 7

Lorelai slammed the door to her bed chambers shut, thankful that Kenna was gone doing some chore somewhere. She leaned against the strong wood door, aching for anything that had stability right now.

Her mind was going everywhere. _The king of France just kissed me._ Her hand flew to her lips, that felt not her own. She remembered how scared she had been, seeing the king walk up those stairs to her. Her back to the wall, and he had leaned over her, making her feel small and insignificant. She shuddered when she remembered how he had smelled her, the slight moan that had escaped his lips. And his words tortured her, "I could have you if I wanted you." But her father had made it clear that she would not be the Queen of France, but the Princess of England, next in line for Queen.

Her mind flew to what her father had told her that morning. _She was going to be a queen._ She couldn't believe it. She had never in her wildest imagination ever thought it possible to be wed to anyone higher than her father's station. Marrying a Lord or a Knight, now that would have been her expectation. _You're going to be the queen of England someday._ And she was scared. She had no idea what it took to help run a country. To have diplomacy like was seen here in French court. And the horrible thought crossed her mind, _What is Prince William like?_ She had only met him at the party last week – and danced a few dances with him. She would not have been able to decide that he was the one she wanted to marry with that brief of introduction.

 _But you don't have the right to chose your husband._ She remembered her father's words. Her father's words that she was nothing more than a pawn to him, that he was trading her future and life for his security in his land and wealth. _Who wouldn't want their daughter to be a queen?_ She thought. And then anger and indignation came from remembering her father's words about how he didn't love her – and she thought, _What if I didn't want to be queen._ But what she thought didn't matter. At least to those around her.

 _The kiss._

It didn't matter that she didn't want the king to want her. It didn't matter that she had pushed against him, asking him to stop. She was only a pawn.

She startled when she heard a quiet knock on her door behind her. And Kenna's sweet voice called, "Lady Lorelai? Are you alright?"

 _What do I say? I can't tell anyone what happened. They wouldn't believe me. They wouldn't think that the great ruler of France would corner a worthless woman such as herself and kiss her._ Especially since Lorelai hadn't told anyone of the night in the King's bedchambers. _Who would believe me anyway?_

But she opened the door, wiping her face before Kenna walked in.

But Kenna could see that something was wrong. She immediately touched her shoulder, concern on her face, "My lady, what has happened?"

Lorelai didn't want to tell anyone. She didn't want anyone to know how afraid she felt right now. She didn't want to think about what the king had meant by his threat. But she had to know some answers. Know more about what the old king really was like. And there was nothing better than servant gossip to find out the truth.

So she turned away from Kenna walking towards the balcony, not wanting Kenna to see her face. And she asked her, "What do you know of the King?"

"I do not know what you ask?" Kenna asked, confused.

Lorelai clarified, "What is he like? Have you talked with any of the other servants that might have told you something?" She had to keep her guard up. She was going to be a queen. She had to find out what was going on behind her back with the insane actions of the king.

Kenna could tell that her lady needed something. Something was wrong. So she told her. "I know he was married to Lady Helen of Portugal when he was crowned king at the age of twenty. It is rumored that she was someone that he really loved, he cared for her. And a few years later, when she died in childbirth, he was heartbroken. He was then left without an heir, and without the desire to marry again."

 _He had loved someone. He had the privilege of marrying a woman that he not only cared for. And then he lost her._ She tried to think about what that would feel like. But she just felt like he was closing in on her, the fear from the stairs. And she said, "Continue."

Hesitant, Kenna continued. "They say that many have pressured him to marry again, to take a wife to secure an heir to the French throne. Because while he is without a successor, the kingdom is at risk. And if he died without an heir, the country would be overtaken in civil war."

"Why hasn't he married?"

"They say that he will not marry someone who doesn't interest him."

Her hands started to shake as she remembered his words that night. _You intrigue me, Lorelai Gilmore._ And she asked, "Do the servants say that he is lonely? That he lacks affection?"

"Lady Lorelai, why all of these…"

Lorelai startled even herself at her harsh tone, "Answer my questions, Kenna."

Her voice shaking, Kenna said, "He lacks no affection, my lady. He is very friendly with the women servants." She stopped, and then continued, as if trying to gain her composure. "Around the castle, it is widely known that he frequently calls girls that catch his eye into his bedroom at night. There have been no accusations against him for destroying a woman's virtue. Probably because he is the king."

Lorelai gasped. And she turned to face Kenna, who immediately saw that she was hurting.

And Kenna asked, "Did he…?"

Lorelai just shook her head, and tearfully said, "No. But he called me into his bedchambers the night after the party." _But why didn't anything happen? Why did he not treat me like the other women? What was it about me that allowed him to leave me alone?_

Kenna raced to her side, pulling her into a hug. "Oh, Lorelai."

But Lorelai knew she had to tell Kenna what had just happened, "But today he kissed me."

Kenna pulled away, her eyes wide. "When? Where? How?"

"After you left the stairs. He came over. And kissed me." She hated talking about it. Putting it into words made it seem more real.

She turned again to the balcony, looking out on the amazing courtyard, always filled with people and animals and children. And she told Kenna, "He told me that he could have me if he wanted me."

And then she opened up, "I don't know what to do, Kenna. I don't know what he is going to do… My father already refused his offer of marriage for me."

"He asked your father for your hand?" Kenna said, fear in her voice. "And your father didn't accept?"

Her skirts swished as she turned back to Kenna, "Why do you sound so scared?"

Kenna looked at her feet, like she was avoiding saying something. Something too awful.

"Kenna, you must tell me." She commanded, hating herself for doing it but knowing that she had a right to know.

The words hit Lorelai so hard she wondered how she was still breathing. "The king has never asked for any woman's hand in marriage in thirty years, the death of his wife never leaving him. If he asked your father, he really wants you." And then shivers ran up Lorelai's spine when Kenna said, "And he is never refused anything. The servants say that something had him so upset this morning that he was throwing things in his chambers, cutting things with his sword. They say that he will not stop until he has what he wants."


	8. Chapter 8

**TRIGGER WARNING**

Lorelai laid in bed, completely clothed, under the covers but in no way sleeping. _This was the only way._ She thought, fighting the urge to light some candles in the small room so she wouldn't be so afraid of the darkness. _There was no other way to do this. I couldn't just lie there in bed, wondering whether he would call for me or not. A helpless girl accepting her fate. That will not be me._

She felt Kenna stir on the floor beside her. They were in Kenna's small bedroom. Lorelai had insisted that Kenna sleep in the bed, because Lorelai was the one who was putting the servant out of her space. But Kenna had refused to sleep in the bed while her mistress slept on the cold floor.

Lorelai had wanted to tell her father. But to accuse the king of something that he had not yet done could lead to her being at best, thrown from French court, and at worst, executed. And it would be her word against the ruler of France. Who would believe a mere child?

She heard something. Something coming from the room next to this room. She leaned over the bed, "Kenna, Kenna." She shook her friend, "Wake up, they're here."

Her heart was racing as Kenna jumped to her feet. Lorelai slid under the bed, pulling Kenna's blankets with her. She lay there, on the stone floor, trying to calm her breathing down. Kenna bundled herself up in blankets on the bed, and lay down, pretending to be asleep in her own bed.

"She's not here." A man's voice came from Lorelai's bedroom.

"Where would she have gone?" Another man. _He sent two men this time._ She again checked to make sure that no part of her body was showing out from underneath the bed.

The first man asked, "What will we tell the king? That we lost his maiden?" Anger flared in her chest when Lorelai heard the man refer to her as the king's maiden. _I am no man's yet. Especially not his._

It was then that she felt the bed above her jump as the door to the bedroom flew open, a huge noise as the door hit the wall.

Loudly, one of the men said, "To your feet, peasant."

She could see the men's boots standing by the doorway, and then she saw Kenna's bare feet standing right in front of her.

One of the men moved closer to Kenna. And commanded, "Where is your mistress, Lady Lorelai."

Kenna's voice shook as she said, "She has gone away home to tend to an urgent family matter." They had rehearsed this.

The other man who was still standing in the doorway, said, "The king had no knowledge of this trip."

Her voice a little stronger, Kenna said, "She was called away at the last moment. Her father was to inform the king in the morning."

Now, the man stading close to Kenna must have grabbed her or done something to Kenna, because Lorelai heard a cry of pain from her friend, and the man's voice said, "No father sends his daughter home, his daughter who was to be here in court until her marriage."

Whimpering in pain, Kenna just said, "I know only what was told to me. I am a mere servant, kind sir."

The man in the doorway turned to leave, and said, "If he cannot have Lady Lorelai, I think bringing him a servant girl would ease some of his anger. She can deal with the rest of his anger when he has her in his bed." And Lorelai gasped at the thought, and then covered her mouth, knowing that her gasp would have been heard in the quiet room.

She saw Kenna thrown against the wall, a cry of pain coming from her lips. And Lorelai felt hands grab her ankles and pull her out from under the bed. And she clawed at the floor, trying to grab at something to keep her from those men.

The man pulled her from the bed, and grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet. And she cried out, saying, "Get your hands off of me, you filthy beast."

But he just smiled at her and said, "My dear lady, no wonder you fascinate the king."

Kenna was still lying on the floor from where the man had thrown her. There was blood coming from her nose, and her eyes held a distant look in them.

"Kenna, Kenna wake up!" She called out, and then turned to the men and said, "If you have hurt her…"

The man in the doorway laughed at her and said, "If we have hurt her, you will get a new servant. She lied to the king's guards. She got what she deserves."

And with that, the man holding her hands pulled her towards the door. Until Lorelai said, "I told you to get your hands off of me." And then she added, "I will come with you, but I will not be treated as a prisoner. Let me go and you have my word I will come with no resistance."

 _It was going to happen anyway._ And he let go of her wrists, looking her up and down, and said, "I bet the king won't know what to do with you, little lady."

And then he stepped aside, gesturing for her to go in front of him and follow the other man. She looked over her shoulder to see Kenna move just a little, and Lorelai prayed that she wasn't hurt too badly, but she was thankful that she wasn't dead.

Lorelai followed them out of her front door, not out of the tunnel in her room. The castle corridors were dark, only a few torches lit in each hallway. Her feet, bare, were cold. But she was thankful that she had worn her clothes to bed, because the dark blue dress she wore kept her from shivering. And it gave her more confidence than being led to the king's chambers with her nightgown on.

The guard in front of her reached the door to the king's chambers first, and went in. He introduced her in, like it was just a visit to the king during the day. Not that it was in the middle of the night under the cover of darkness.

"The Lady Lorelai, your Highness." She walked in, and he stepped out, leaving her in the kings chambers alone, with the king.

She looked to the chair where he had been sitting the last time he had her summoned. But to her horror, she found the chair mutilated, with a sword sticking out of the back. _Kenna said that he had been angry._

Naturally, she looked to the bed, not wanting to look, but knowing that would be another place that the man might be. But nothing. It was empty.

Steadying her voice, she called out, "Surely you did not rip me from my bed in the middle of the night to play games with me."

She knew that something she had said the last time she was here had saved her from completing the deed that he did with the other women. So she would play this scene no differently. She would not show him how scared she was. She would be the strong woman that her parents never wanted her to be.

But his voice startled her. Because it was behind her. But not just behind her. It was whispering behind her. Right by her ear.

She tried to turn around and face him, but he grabbed her shoulders, holding her in place. "Games sound very exciting, if you ask me." He whispered.

Her whole body tensed up at his touch, her words taken away. His hands moved from her shoulders to her bare neck, and started roaming downwards. And he said, "What kind of game would you like to play?"

She tried to twist away from him, but that only tightened his grip on her. And she said, "I wish to be straightforward with the king. Games are for children." And then she added with anger, "And for unruly kings."

His hands immediately came off of her, and she turned around to face him. And he said, "You must know that you are standing in the presence of one of the most powerful rulers in the world. Has no one taught you respect?"

His face, in the shadows of the night, made him look even more intimidating. His glare seemed to stare right through her, and his hands were shaking with anger.

But she still said, "I will respect him who deserves respect."

He grabbed her arms, his grip tight and strong. She winced from the pain, but she would not cry out. And he pulled her close to him, so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. And he snarled, "I will show you what respect means."

And with that, he pulled her towards the bed. But she wasn't going to let him do this to her without a fight. She started screaming for help, screaming for one of the servants to hear her. And she let her feet fall beneath her as she kicked at him. "Someone help me. Someone please."

But he was strong. A man of war, trained in combat, as all kings were. And he picked her up and threw her onto the bed, jumping right after her.

Trying to get away, she crawled away from him, but he grabbed her long hair and pulled her back to him, and she cried out in pain and fear. He straddled her stomach, holding her arms down at her sides with his knees.

"Hold still, you wench." He said, while she struggled underneath him.

She couldn't move. Her legs could kick, but he was on top of her stomach. Her arms were locked down, pressured from his knees.

She moved her face to the side as he leaned down to kiss her, but his hands grabbed her hair and held her there, while his lips met hers, like he was searching for something. She just wanted him off of her, fear coursing through her veins as she thought, His free hand ran down her cheek, and he pulled away from the kiss to moan, "God, you're so refreshing."His teeth bit her lower lip, his tongue then ravished her mouth, and she tried to pull away. But he held her tight.

She closed her eyes to get the image of this old man kissing her, disgusted and afraid. She just wanted to go back to her room, crawl into her bed, and be safe. _Even being locked in my room back home would be better than this._ More than anything, she just wanted to be anywhere else but here. But she couldn't give up. The deed wasn't done yet. _There's still a chance to preserve my worth._ She was not going to give him the satisfaction of enjoying her without a fight. And she did the only thing she knew to do. She bit down on his tongue, hard. She could taste the blood in her mouth.

His cry of pain echoed throughout the stone chamber. "Oh my god." He sat up and put his hand to his mouth. And it came out bloody. And he looked down on her with such anger and passion. She was afraid. Very afraid. And she knew her fate had been sealed.

But she had to make him understand. To leave her alone. "Please, I don't want this. I don't want you to hurt…"

His words, screaming into her ears, sent chills down her spine, her entire body seizing up with utter terror. And now, even if she had been able to move, she didn't think she could – she was paralyzed. With fear.

"How DARE you!" He yelled, and she knew she was at his mercy, unable to move, having provoked him. And before she could brace herself, she felt the back of his hand whip across her face. The force was enough to inflict pain, but his ring, his royal seal, cut into her face, ripping flesh all the way across her cheek.

But she didn't have time to cry out in agony, because he pulled his dagger out from the sheath at his belt. He held it to her throat, the sharp blade cold against her skin. And he looked down at her, evil in his eyes, and he hissed, "You will lay still or I will kill you." Then he spit into her face, clouding her vision, but not enough that she couldn't see that his spit had blood in it, as the blood leaked down his chin.

Her eyes were almost blinded by the panic that she was feeling. She could still feel the blade against her skin, feel her chest moving up and down, but she couldn't get enough oxygen, couldn't catch her breath. And she couldn't do anything to get

Her heart was pounding. She could barely catch her breath. And the cold against her neck was enough to make her stop struggling. She looked up at him, and asked, "Please. I'll do anything. Just don't do this. I'm…" tears overtook her, and she choked out, "I'm engaged to someone else. If this happens, I wont be…."

That only angered him more. "I am going to ruin you. No one will want you." And he removed the knife from her neck. But he just moved it to where her neckline started, tracing it down her chest to the material of her dress. She drew in a quick breath, afraid of what he was about to do. _Please don't cut me._ She thought.

But his dagger went right under the neckline of her dress and he ripped it down. He cut her dress open, leaving her there in her undergarments. He let the dagger sit against her stomach, and she could barely breathe. "Don't move." He said. And he lifted his knees off of her hands.

The tip of his dagger dug into her skin just a little, but it was enough to ensure that she didn't move as he moved lower. Kneeling above her legs that were still covered in material of her dress, he ripped the rest of the material with his dagger, leaving her entire body exposed.

He reached over and cut her undergarments off, and he smiled, "You're a natural beauty, Lorelai. You don't even wear a corset."

Completely naked. On his bed. The king's bed. _Scream._ She told herself. _Run._ She told herself. _Fight back._ But she couldn't. No matter how many times she screamed at herself in her head to do something, to move, to just run, the fact that he was looking her over like she was nothing more than a nice picture on the wall – she could do nothing.

Except she could speak. And she whispered, "Lady."

His head immediately left his scanning of her body and found her face. "Did you say something?" She didn't say anything back to him, and he just sneered and said, "I don't tolerate backtalk from the women in my bed."

Somehow, over the fear and panic in her throat, the voice in her head screaming to just be quiet and let what would be done be done, her words broke through all the barriers and she said, "I am Lady Lorelai to you." And her eyes met his, and she said, "Not Lorelai."

And any semblance of sanity in the king left him at that moment. She watched as an animal inhabited his body, claws out, fangs ready, and all out animalistic being before her.

She tried to mentally shut down. She tried to go back to a place that she felt safe. _The stables._ But each word he spoke brought her back to the present.

"I always get what I want." Her breasts bitten and clawed.

 _The fields of home. Running through the tall grass. The tickle of the grass against her legs._

"I can't wait to feel you." Her thighs ripped apart.

 _Laying in the hay in the barn, soft and warm, hidden and safe._

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Her hips grabbed roughly.

Her mind began to betray her, taking her places she didn't want to go. _Her mother's hand on her arm, dragging her along the hallway._

"I hope this hurts you, Lorelai." Pain exploded throughout her body as he violently thrust into her. Her back arched in agony, while her very being seemed to die within her.

 _"Without your virginity, you are worthless to your father and I."_

"Open your eyes." Her body rocked, the pain crashing over and over again.

 _"You are nothing more than a pawn to my land and wealth."_

"I said look at me while I fuck you." Hand across her face.

 _"You have done well, Lorelai. They were interested in your innocence and enticed by your beauty."_

She opened her eyes. She looked at him. At his face. His eyes finding hers. And then more pain.

"Your eyes are the most beautiful thing about you, Lorelai Gilmore" Faster and faster he thrust into her unprepared body.

 _"You intrigue me, Lorelai Gilmore."_

"God, Lorelai… oh my… fuck… fuck…" His eyes glazed over. And she felt even more dirty.

 _"I could have you if I wanted you."_

He collapsed on top of her, his sweat sticking to her body as he caught his breath. _Just get off of me._ She thought, wanting more than anything to say it out loud. But she couldn't.

She didn't know how long they laid there, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, he rolled off of her, allowing her to take a breath without feeling him move on top of her. Standing to his feet, completely naked, he grabbed a blanket and threw it at her.

"Get out." He said firmly, tying his dressing robe around his body.

The texture of the blanket felt grainy against her skin. She just stared at the blanket, unsure of what to do. _It hurts so much. Is he tired of seeing my body already? Is this to cover myself with so he doesn't have to look at me?_

Him yelling her name brought her out of her stupor. "Lorelai!" Her whole body jumped at the sound of her name from his lips. She just looked at him, the blanket still in her hands. "Get the hell out of my chambers!"

She sat up, her legs burning with every movement. But it must not have been fast enough for him, because before she knew it, he was standing beside the bed and grabbed her hair. She cried out in pain and he pulled her to her feet. "I don't want a whore in my bed after I'm done with her."

She begged, "Please, let go. I will leave…" But he wasn't done.

He dragged her across the room, his hand in her hair, his other hand on her arm. "If you tell anyone about tonight, I will have your entire family beheaded." He reached the heavy wooden doors. He opened one of them, and then he held her up so she was looking at him only inches away from his face, and then he spat in her face and said, "It would be a pity to have to kill such a beauty like yourself."

And then he threw her out. Violently. Out into the corridor. Like she was an old piece of clothing. Used and discarded. Her arms hit the stone ground first, followed by the rest of her bare body. The blanket fell in front of her, and the door slammed shut behind her.

Lorelai held her tears back as she pulled the blanket to her and wrapped it around her horribly used body. _Hurry. You can't let anyone see you like this._ It was the first time that she was thankful for the darkness of the castle, as she slunk from shadow to shadow, feeling as dark on the inside as she wanted to be seen on the outside.

She threw open the door to her room, slamming it shut behind her. And she fell to the ground, pulling her bare legs to her chest, and she buried her head in her hands. And she just sat there, unable to cry, unable to grieve for what she had lost. Unwilling to move. Uncaring of anything else.


	9. Chapter 9

**PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW - I HAVE MORE WRITTEN - BUT I WONT POST MORE UNTIL I GET MORE REVIEWS.**

Kenna curtsied when she opened the door to Lorelia's sitting room to find Lady Gilmore standing there.

The woman's voice was cold and dismissive. _As was typical for nobles and royals to refer to their servants. Lorelai is just different._ "I need to speak with my daughter."

Kenna softly said, "I will inform her that you are here." And she walked into the dressing room, closing the door, and then walked into the bedroom.

What she found had become the normal way that she found her mistress. The doors to the balcony were curtained off, so no light came in from the courtyard. Or so that no one could see in from the courtyard, Kenna wasn't sure. With the room so dark with the absence of outside light, candles illumined the room, not leaving one corner dark or in shadows. The bed was unmade, because within the lumps of covers, lay a fragile woman.

Kenna drew closer to the bed, and found Lorelai, her face the only thing outside of the protection of the covers. But she was not sleeping. Her eyes found Kenna's immediately, as if she was on alert for something – _anything_ – that might threaten her. Her eyes were bloodshot, and Kenna knew it was because her mistress had not slept peacefully since that night, almost six weeks earlier. _You haven't slept much more either._ Her face was pale, and a little thinner in the cheekbones.

"Lady Lorelai, your mother is here to see you." Kenna whispered, not moving any closer to the bed.

The reply was immediate. "Tell her I am ill. That I have a headache or some other illness." Her voice, raspy from disuse, proclaimed words that had been Lorelai's excuse since that night. And Kenna nodded in obedience and turned to go back and speak to the Lady Emily.

But the door swung open, revealing an infuriated mother.

Kenna raced to intervene, to try and keep Lorelai's mother from her. "Please, Lady Gilmore, your daughter is not feeling well and wishes to be left alone to…"

Emily pushed her aside as if she was nothing, advancing on the bed, her voice loud and grating in the before quiet setting. "How dare you refuse to see me yet again!"

Kenna watched as the form on the bed sat up, pulling her body up against the headboard of the bed, pulling her knees close to her chest. Lorelai's face was pale, the only thing that gave her color to her face were her eyes and the healing cut on her cheek. "Mother, please, I am not well." Her voice was so unsure of itself, as if it didn't trust itself to use the right words.

Emily now stood right above the bed, her face fuming with rage. "I don't care how you are feeling. You don't refuse to see your mother. Ever."

Kenna had never heard Lorelai raise her voice to her mother. Lorelai would talk about her mother behind her back, when Emily left the room. She would mock her mother, belittle her mother, and cry over things that her mother had said. But she had never raised her voice to her mother.

And this was the first.

Lorelai's voice rang out through the bedchamber. "Mother! Please leave me!"

Kenna watched as Emily took a step back, startled. But Lady Gilmore recovered quickly.

"Lorelai Gilmore! You will not speak to your own mother that way." Her hand reached out to physically correct her daughter's mouth.

But Lorelai had anticipated that, and moved out of the bed to the side opposite of her mother, clutching the sleeves of her nightgown pulled down into her hands. Outside of the bed, her face was more visible, the scar even more pronounced across her face. And the dark circles underneath her watery eyes. She was shaking, and her voice shook even more as she backed up against the wall away from her mother, "No!" She screamed. "Don't touch me!"

Lady Emily's voice held so much anger as her daughter pulled away from her. "You think that because you are now engaged to a prince that you can treat your own mother like this? That you are better than I am? I brought you into this world." Emily now walked around the bed to the corner that her daughter was backed into. "I raised you. I had you taught how to act like a lady. You are engaged to a prince because I did my job with you."

As the mother drew closer to her daughter, something came to her eyes, Kenna could see. And Emily asked, "What happened to your face?"

Lorelai's hand reached up and brushed the red scar that marred her face – a physical reminder of the horrors of what had happened that night. Lorelai was not just shaking, but trembling now, her arms now crossed in front of her body, almost shielding herself from the feelings that were raging inside of her at her mother's careless words. She opened her mouth to tell her mother, to try and put to words the swirling storm that had become her life. But no words came out – only a small cry, as she sank to the ground.

No nonsense Emily now looked on with confusion. Kenna knew that Lorelai's mother had never been around when Lorelai had been emotional – that most of Lorelai's life had been spent away from her mother, kept out of sight and out of mind. Watching Emily confused and unable to understand left Kenna wanting to run over and comfort Lorelai.

Emily's words were now softer, and she asked again, "Where did you get the cut on your face?"

Lorelai just shook her head, her mouth still trying to form words. Nightgown pulled around her, she was still shivering.

Starting to get irritated, Emily regressed back to her usual interactions with her daughter. "Lorelai, this is completely out of hand. You will speak to me. You will answer my questions. If you refuse, I will send…"

The words seem to break the entire room. They echoed off of the walls, bouncing off of startled looks, hardened hearts, and disbelieving faces.

"I was raped."

Kenna knew that saying those words out loud for only the second time since it happened was enough to hurt Lorelai all again. It shattered Kenna's heart to hear the soft words from such a sweet girl. Just as it had that night.

But watching the two of them, Kenna was drawn to Emily to know how she would respond. The elder Lady Gilmore seemed frozen in time. Her face recoiled for a split second, as her mind entertained the idea of something so horrible happening to her daughter. But Kenna watched with utter grief as something more harmful came to her face: disbelief. Distrust. And most devastating: anger.

"What do you mean?"

Confusion was now on Lorelai's face. And Kenna could have quoted the words that came out of her mistress' mouth. Because they were the words that flew through Kenna's mind. "How many meanings to that phrase are there, mother?"

Emily turned away from her daughter, now pacing the floor. "Who did it? When did it happen?"

 _Questions that Lorelai doesn't want to answer. Questions that could get them killed. Questions that would barely be able to be answered without completely shutting down again._

"It was six weeks ago, Mother." Came the short and quiet reply.

Then came the silence. As Emily expected to hear the name of the attacker. As Lorelai waited for her mother to ask again.

Still with her back to her daughter, Emily asked, "Who was it, Lorelai?"

Again, silence. Kenna watched as her mistress held her face in her hands. And whispered, "I can't tell you."

Fury broke through the shocked mother, her skirts rustling as she turned around so fast and was standing above her daughter so fast. And then she reached down and grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and pulled Lorelai to her feet. Lorelai tried to pull away, but Emily held her fast. And she said, vehemently. "Young lady, you will tell me right this minute. You will tell me."

Shock and fear filled Lorelai's eyes as she shook her head, "No, I can't. He said if I said anything… that…" Her voice sounded like a little mouse, helpless and frightened.

Emily interrupted her daughter, bringing Lorelai's helpless body closer to hers. And yelled, "You liar." Even Kenna shuddered. "One thing, Lorelai. You find out that your father found you someone to marry." Lorelai struggled to get away, but Emily didn't release her. "But you have your own ideas about marriage. You don't want to do what everyone expects of you."

Lorelai just shook her head, and whispered, "No." over and over again.

"So you concocted this whole story to get you out of marrying someone that your father chose." Even Kenna was completely shocked at what Emily thought had happened, that Lorelai was lying about being raped. _What kind of mother thinks like that?_

A noise startled Kenna out of her thoughts, pulling her mind to the servant that had entered the sitting room. Hating to leave this conversation, but knowing she had to do her job, Kenna quietly rushed out into the sitting room, where the servant announced that the nuns Lady Emily had requested were here and wished to see Lady Lorelai.

 _Nuns? To see Lady Lorelai?_ Kenna's mind was going a million miles a minute. _What would Lady Emily want with the revered women of the church to come to see Lady Lorelai…_ Then it dawned upon her as she heard the yelling mother in the other room.

"One more chance to tell me the truth, Lorelai." Emily yelled.

Kenna couldn't hear the reply of Lady Lorelai, but by Emily's response it hadn't been what Emily wanted.

"You are unbelievable. You deserve to be thrown out into the streets to see what life would be like without all of the work your father has put into signing this engagement into being."

Kenna escorted the nuns into the room, the five nuns that were with her.

And she saw that Emily had let go of Lorelai, who was now standing up against the wall. Emily turned to see the holy women walking into the room. And she acknowledged them. And she said, "Let's get this over with. Thank you for coming."

A terrified cry came from Lorelai, "Mother, what are they doing here? What's going…"

One of the ladies spoke up, and said, "We are here to verify your virginity so that the engagement may be finalized on paper."

Her mistress' eyes flew from the woman speaking to her mother, and a pleading look preceded her pleading voice, "No, Mother, please! I already know that… I can't…"

Emily just dismissed her daughter's cry for help with a wave of her hand, and Kenna watched as the mother abandoned her child.

One of the nuns led Lorelai to the bed, helped her lay down, and then held her hand. Another went to her other hand, two went to each of her legs. And one positioned herself between Lorelai's legs.

By this time, Lorelai was crying uncontrollably. Her eyes closed so tightly, but tears still falling over and over again down her cheeks. When the nuns at her feet made her bend her knees and spread her thighs open, Lorelai started to beg them. _Or beg someone._ "Please. Don't. Please. It hurts…" Her hands were now gripping the bedsheets, her fists white and tense.

Kenna herself was crying watching this already tortured soul suffer even more. As the nun opened her up, Kenna had to look away as she heard the scream of Lorelai. A scream with no words. No tangible words. But a scream of pain. Repressed pain. Pain not from the touch but from the memory. The memory that the touch brought out. The scream that signified the breaking of her entire life. Right before her eyes. And it was happening again.

When Kenna turned away, she found herself staring at Lady Emily, who was looking on with a hardened face, almost angry and put out. Emily didn't look away, didn't shy away from her daughter in so much pain. And her face was stone cold.

It lasted only a few seconds. It didn't take long to see.

As they pulled away from the exposed girl on the bed, Kenna watched as Lorelai pulled the blankets around her body.

And she heard the nun speak openly to Emily. "Your daughter is not pure before God, the church, or the state." It sounded so cold. And so loud. Kenna saw the blankets on the bed physically shake at the words. "There will be no signing of the engagement papers."

Then they were gone. As quickly as they had come, they were gone. Leaving behind the truth for Emily to realize that something had happened to her daughter.

But that wasn't how Emily saw it.

"How dare you!" Her voice was uncontrolled and loud as she walked to the bed.

Lorelai sat up in bed. Her face completely confused. And questioning. And hurt. And, to Kenna's amazement, angry. "What? What are you talking about?" Her voice, still weak, carried just a little bit farther than her words had.

Emily now stood above her, looking down with condemnation and hatred. "You were only asked one thing. One thing: keep yourself pure until you are married."

"I did. This wasn't…"

"But you decide that you want to do what you want to do. Like a common whore."

Kenna flinched at the harsh word."

Lorelai's voice gained some strength. "Mother, this wasn't a choice I made!" She was desperate to make her mother understand.

Emily turned and walked towards the door. "Then who was it?"

Lorelai looked down at her hands and again said, "I can't tell you. He…"

Emily now turned back to face her daughter, "You have ruined your father and I. Now not one royal will want you. All of the riches that would have come from your marriage to Prince William are gone now. I hope you know what your decision costed your family."

Emily was just about out of the door when Lorelai called out to her, "I'm pregnant."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - JUST A THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO REVIEWED - AND I AM GOING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW - INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR REVIEWS WITHOUT A DIRECTION - I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION - OR ASK FOR FEEDBACK ON SOMETHING PARTICULAR. ONE - WHO DO YOU THINK THE WOMAN IS? AND WHAT WERE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT EMILY AND RICHARD TOLD LORELAI?**

Lorelai held Kenna tight against her, wishing more than anything that she didn't have to say goodbye to the one person who she felt cared for her. Ever since that night, Kenna had looked out for her, trying to keep her parents from finding out, helping her get dressed in the mornings, making her eat food, everything. A tear escaped down Lorelai's face as she pulled away from her friend, and she whispered to Kenna, "I don't know what I would have done without you."

A sad smile greeted Lorelai's sad goodbye. "Stay safe, Lorelai." Kenna's voice whispered back.

Lorelai heard the door to her room open, and she turned to find her mother and father standing in the doorway of her room. She didn't even look at their faces, knowing she would find the anger, disgust, and distrust that had plagued her since her parents found out about… Her hands immediately went to her still flat stomach.

Squeezing Kenna's hand one last time, she pulled her cloak over her dress – a dress from Kenna. A dress of a peasant. Comfortable. Loose. And plain. Pulling the hood from her cloak up onto her head, she walked to where her parents were standing in the doorway.

Without any words, she followed them down the dark hallways of the castle, out into the cold night, to find two horses waiting for them. A man, one of her father's guards, held both of the horses. Lorelai knew that one of the horses was for him, and the other for her.

The cold nipped at her cheeks, the first breaths of fresh air she had breathed for almost two months. She had been confined to her chambers when her parents had found out about the baby, which hadn't been something that she disliked.

At the sound of her father's voice, she turned to face him, the light from the moon contouring his face to be even more stern than she could imagine.

"I hope you realize how much of a disgrace you are, Lorelai." His voice was full of anger, controlled, but angry nonetheless. "To have to send our only child away because she got herself pregnant – that's the epitome of dishonor."

Lorelai tried one last time. It hadn't helped before. She didn't think it would help now. But she wouldn't see her parents for a long time. So she had to attempt to make them see. The cold wind blew a few strands of her hair across her face.

"Father, I didn't choose this. I wanted him to stop – I never asked for this to happen to me – to you. I'm just as heartbroken as you are. I knew how much the engagement meant to you." She pleaded with him to understand, "Can you just believe me this once?"

But his glare never changed. And his harsh tone struck at what she thought was an already shattered heart, "I refused to believe the lies of a harlot."

Lorelai nodded, her eyes moving down to her feet, the tears falling off of her face and falling to the ground, like tiny pools of despair.

Her mother was also harsh in her goodbye. "I expect you to confess your sin to God while you are away. That will be the only way you will be able to stay the hellfire from God."

Her mind went to him – Christopher – the one who had put her in this situation – the situation of being banished away until the baby was born. He was living a carefree life – a life that was surrounded by wickedness, debauchery, and treachery. She prayed that God would send down fire from heaven to strike him down in his sin – not condemn her, the innocent party in this.

Her father spoke with callousness from having told her this before. "Gordon, my personal bodyguard, will go with you to a small town on the outskirts of France. There you will stay with a midwife who has been paid well to see that everything is kept secret. He will leave you there and come to you again when the…" he looked at her stomach and then continued, "… thing is born. He will then take the baby away, and you will return to the castle and no one will know the difference."

She had no strength to argue. And she knew she had a long journey ahead of her if they were riding to the border of the country. So she just asked one time more, "Can I just stay and live there with my baby, Father?" Her heart ached at giving up the little baby that was living inside of her.

Her mother spoke. "That baby deserves nothing more than to die in its illegitimacy. You will not disgrace this family any more by keeping such a thing."

She couldn't control herself anymore. "It wasn't the baby's fault! It wasn't my fault. What part of that don't you understand?" She knew it was pointless arguing. Lorelai didn't want to stand there and talk about this any longer. She looked up at her father and said, "I hope you can live with yourself – blaming your daughter for this horrible thing being done to her."

Like the skillful rider that she was, she mounted her horse, refusing the help of the guard. Sitting up in the saddle, looking down at her parents, she had never felt so alone. So disgusting. So horrible. And so misunderstood.

Her mother walked over to the horse, touching her leg. And she said, "You'll thank us for this someday. When you are not looked on as a woman of easy virtue."

Pulling the horse back, so her mother had to move away from her, Lorelai left them with the words, "I can live with the choices that I have made. Will you be able to?"

And she was off. Galloping down the stone pathway. Her hood falling off in the wind, her hair bellowing behind her, as if trying to hold onto the life that was behind her. Her body moved with the horse, like they were one. Each step taking her away from the life she knew. From the life of comfort. From the life of grandeur. From the life of confinement. From the life of criticism. And the life of living in fear of what the king would do to her.

And she was riding to the life that she had no idea what would be waiting for her. Into the darkness of the night. Into the unknown. What would life outside walls of confinement be like? Would the lady she was staying with be nice? What would giving birth be like? How would she give her baby up? What would happen?

But as they rode, the sounds of the horses' hooves on the ground the only exchange the two riders engaged in. They stopped when the sun came up, taking a small meal of bread and cheese to give them strength for the rest of their ride. They rode on a few more minutes before Lorelai had to stop and throw up her meal, feeling weak and sick as they continued a little bit slower than before. But still, the silence was something that was a comfort to Lorelai.

They rode through the day. Stopping again, where Lorelai could only drink water, still feeling very sick to her stomach. Gordon said they would be there by nightfall. They would have been there earlier, but she got sick even after just drinking the water. So they had to stop more, delaying their arrival time.

As they rode, she could feel her fingers losing feeling – and she realized that there was snow starting to come down. Bringing with the whole day a sense of dread as the icy white substance landed on her already stiff body, clouding her vision, and biting at her face.

She could feel her body start to tire, not used to riding for an entire day. Adding to that the horrible departure she had with her parents, feeling sick with the baby – she wasn't feeling very good as night began to fall. Her legs felt like they had nothing left in them, her hands had blisters from holding the reigns, her fingers freezing and hurting from the cold.

Gordon must have been able to tell that she wasn't feeling well at all, because he called over his shoulder, "The horse will follow mine if you just lay your head down. Just make sure to tie still hold on." His whole body was covered in snow, his breath coming out in light puffs.

She knew she couldn't fall asleep while the horse was moving. But she laid her head on the neck of the horse, feeling the warmth from the moving horse. Shielding her face from the snow and freezing wind, she just allowed the horse to carry her.

It seemed to be forever until the horse came to a stop. She could see a cottage, a fire visible through the window. But she was too cold, too stiff, and too weak to lift her head up to take in more of her surroundings. She heard the door open, and Gordon's feet hitting the ground.

"I assume you are the man that the letter told me would come?" The woman's voice. Sounded sweet. But also strong.

Gordon's voice said, "Yes I am." She could hear the snow crunching under his feet as they both walked over to the horse. Lorelai tried to open her eyes, to sit up, to even just move her head. But nothing. She was so cold. She was shaking.

The woman's voice, "The poor darling. How long have you been out in this weather?"

"We left last night. Traveled all day."

A gasp from the woman. "In her condition?" Lorelai felt a hand on her shoulder, and the woman commanded, "Get her inside. I have a cot set up by the fire."

She felt arms around her, taking the reins from her hands. She felt arms under her knees and around her back as he brought her into the house, she could feel the warm air change as they arrived into the house.

Then she something soft underneath her, and his arms were gone. Someone took off her cloak, that was soaked through. Then a blanket was tucked underneath her chin, another one added on top of that. The warmth from the fire creeping up her back, through the stiffness. Through the fear.

But she could still hear the voices.

Something was set down on the ground. Gordon said, "These are her things."

The woman must have been standing above the cot where Lorelai was lying. She said, "When did she eat last?" Concern. Something even her parents hadn't shown her.

Gordon said, "This morning. But she was sick afterwards."

Lorelai felt a hand brush her hair out of her face. And Mia asked, "Are there any other special instructions or information? It feels disconnected to just have a girl left here in my house in the middle of the night not knowing…"

Gordon interrupted, his dark voice matter of fact. "In the letter that you were given when you were given payment – all of the information should be there." Boots on the floor fading away. _He's leaving._ Lorelai thought. He continued, "My only job is bringing her here. And after the birth, disposing of the baby. And taking her back home."

Something about the way he said that made Lorelai afraid. _Disposing? Giving it to a family? Hurting the baby?_ But Lorelai couldn't move or speak or cry. But she remembered the fear.

The she heard the door shut. And hooves of a horse fading off into the distance.

And she found herself alone with a stranger. One that she still hadn't seen. Alone in a house that she didn't know where she was. Afraid. Unable to move.

She could feel sleep tugging at her, beckoning her to the safe place that sleep usually offered her. But she heard the woman's voice. Sweet. Strong. "Just rest. You're safe here. I'm going to sit right here with you so you don't wake up alone. Sleep."

Lorelai later wondered if the woman had said more. Had talked to her throughout the night. Because Lorelai slept. And she slept the best she'd slept since that night. It was probably the long day and freezing temperatures. _Or the woman who seemed to care about her enough to stay there by her side the whole night._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N - QUESTION FOR THIS CHAPTER - IM ABOUT READY TO INTRODUCE THE SMALL VILLAGE OF STARS HOLLOW - AND THE INHABITANTS - ANY IDEAS AS TO WHO SHOULD BE WHAT?**

Something warm on her face drew her out of her dreamless sleep. Her lashes brushed her face as she blinked her way into the world of the woken. Her eyes took a bit to adjust to the light, to the sun that was streaming in through the window. But as she adjusted, she took in her surroundings for the first time.

The whole cottage, shaped in a square, had walls made of stone, but not like the stone walls that Lorelai had grown up with. These seemed to be hand-laid. Wooden beams went from the dirt floor to the ceiling, which was a wooden roof. All around the room, things were so condensed and bare. _Refreshing from all the decorations and clutter at the palace._

A small stone oven in the corner. A small table along the wall with two chairs. A bed in the other corner, brown blanket and small pillow covering the thin mattress. Along the other wall, a few shelves stood, with little bottles, big glass jars, and other things Lorelai had no idea what they were for. Along that same wall was a doorway that opened into what looked to be a garden during the summer, but now just a plot of land covered in snow and a walkway. Lorelai found herself in the next corner, and looked along the wall next to her to find the fireplace, where someone stood stirring the large pot that was in the fire.

Lorelai startled just a bit when she heard the woman's voice coming from the person at the fireplace. "I'm so glad you're awake." The voice was sweet, but now Lorelai could see the face. The face of a woman, kind and gentle. _Even her eyes smile._ Lorelai thought as she saw such twinkle in the elderly lady. And her smile seemed to envelope Lorelai into its happiness. Her grey hair was pulled back up into a tight bun, but her face didn't look harsh at all. Her dress was a warm grey, a small apron tied around her waist.

In her hands, she held a bowl and she filled the bowl with some type of soup from the large black pot in the fire. "I thought maybe you might like something to warm you up here. Give you some substance."

At that moment, Lorelai realized just how hungry she really was. The woman brought the soup over to the cot. She knew she would have to sit up, so she swung her legs over the side of the little bed, using her arms to push herself up, she brought her head up. But the world started spinning.

"Darling, just sit up slowly." The comforting again. And a hand in the middle of her back to help support her. "Your body had a rough shock yesterday."

The woman just sat there, holding her back, until Lorelai looked at the bowl of steaming hot something. "Do you think you can hold the bowl?"

Lorelai nodded, and took the small bowl. She held the bowl in one hand and spooned the hot, warming, comforting soup into her mouth. And another. And another. Until the whole bowl was gone. "I hope that you slept well."

The first words Lorelai had muttered in almost a day, she said, "Thank you."

Another big smile greeted Lorelai's gratitude. "You are most welcome."

Another set of words. "For everything." Her diplomatic side of her was taking over. "I'm sure it wasn't your greatest want to open up your home to a young woman carrying a child out of wedlock. To have her come in the middle of the night – it just added to the list of things that you weren't really wanting." She took a breath – having so many words to get out.

"Darling, of course I wasn't expecting a year ago to have a beautiful woman here in my home. But I have the blessing to get to know you and let you have a safe place to stay until things get figured out and you can bring this little baby…" Lorelai smiled as a hand reached out and touched her stomach, "… into this world to be loved and cared for."

Something about last night was plaguing her mind. Something Lorelai couldn't remember. Something that wasn't adding up. But she couldn't think.

But at that lovely thought, Lorelai's stomach turned. And she felt sick. And sicker. Buy the second. "I think I'm…"

Suddenly there was a small pot in front of her, where she emptied the contents of her stomach, soup, into the pot.

"Finished?" When Lorelai nodded, the pot was gone, leaving the woman there with a small hankerchief. "To wash your mouth."

A small smile on her face, Lorelai cleaned her mouth. And then she said, "This little thing is going to be the death of me." Hand on her stomach, "Eating is one of my favorite things to do. So this baby must want to get close to me, emotionally, by taking the ability to eat food away."

The woman stood up and walked back over to the pot in the fire, and filled the bowl again with hot soup. "I think you should keep eating, because it's been a few days since you've eaten and you need to get that little one some nourishment."

Still hungry just afraid of throwing up, Lorelai spooned the soup in just a bit slower. And she was taking her time when the woman asked, "Darling, I don't want to keep calling you 'darling' but I don't know your name."

 _Of course you wouldn't. My father would never want someone to know what their family was._ But Lorelai wasn't happy with her parents at all. So she said between bites, "Lorelai."

"What a gorgeous name! So unique and…"

Lorelai laughed and said, "And hard for a little kid to pronounce."

"That it is!" An infectious laugh.

"I was four before I could pronounce my own name."

"Lorelai, you make me laugh." And then the woman said, "I'm Mia, which was a little easier to pronounce as a child."

Mia stood up, taking the empty bowl of soup to the small bucket of water on the table. And Mia continued to talk, "How about we get you into a different dress. And then maybe take a walk? Fresh air does wonders to help get rid of morning sickness."

Getting changed out of her muddy dress, Lorelai was amazed at how much better she felt in clean clothing and a full stomach. Her hair, knotted from the wet, windy journey, made her feel very inadequate to care for herself. _Kenna, I miss you_. Lorelai thought as she tried to run her brush through her tangled hair. After giving up, she managed to come up with some braid that looked pretty rough, but it kept her hair out of her face.

Mia had wrapped herself in a grey wool cloak, and had a basket over her arm. "You don't mind if I make some stops along the way?"

Lorelai shook her head. She looked around for her cloak, the one from the night before, but Mia handed her a plain one like the one she was wearing.

"I still haven't gotten some of the mud off of that cloak." Mia said, and then added, "And the material of that one looked so very exquisite. No need to give people more to gossip about."

And with that, Mia walked out the door, and Lorelai hurried to keep up.


	12. Chapter 12

Lorelai had forgotten what it was like to walk around without someone following her or looking over her shoulder. Telling her how to walk, how to hold herself, where to step – and letting her walk in the snow. She could hear her mother's voice at that very moment. _A lady doesn't go out in the snow. You could catch your death._

So the short walk with Mia into the heart of the town made Lorelai so happy. The trees looked completely blissful, covered in a warm blanket of freezing snow, the little cottages that littered the countryside mere decorations to the masterpiece of the snow. Their feet crunched through the fresh snow. As they walked into the town square, Lorelai was amazed at the condensed beauty of such a quaint place. There was a well in the middle of the cobblestone square, surrounded by stone buildings that went up two stories.

Then she noticed what now she knew to be the most important part about Stars Hollow, the town that her father had exiled her to. The most important part: the people.

Mia seemed to know everyone. As they walked down the street, people called out to her.

"A beautiful snow last night, wasn't it?" A lady called out as she walked over to Mia.

"Patty, it sure was!" Mia agreed, her smile that constantly was on her face brightening. "The snow is one of the most beautiful things for an old country town."

The woman, who seemed happy, very happy, looked at Lorelai and said, "Now, honey, I don't believe I've met you yet." She extended her hand. "I'm Patty."

Lorelai took her hand, and said, "I'm…" She stopped herself before she said her title. "… Lorelai."

Patty smiled, and said, "That's a very beautiful name." Turning to Mia, she asked, "Do you have any more of that calming powder we talked about?"

Mia reached into her basket, pulling out a small vial filled with white. "Take just a bit in your wine before bed." And Patty was on her way across the square.

Another woman yelled at Mia, "Hello!" But it was just a greeting.

Mia turned to Lorelai as they walked through the square. "Patty is a dear woman who has had her share of adventures in life." Looking around, all the people around, Mia then said, "I think one of the most fascinating things about living in this town is that there are so many colorful people who bring exactly what is needed to make everything run just fine."

Pointing to a man with a cart, she said, "Take Jackson over there. He is a farmer who supplies the town with food that they cannot grow in their gardens during the summer. And then also fresh milk and cheese during these cold, winter months." Then she pointed over at a little shop, which looked to be a bakery, "There is where Babette sells the bread her husband, the baker, makes." The she continued over to a stone building at the end of the square. "All of these people bring so much to the small town, giving what we need and nothing more."

Walking in, Lorelai was hit with the warm air, her cheeks sparkling from the nice walk through the town. It was dark in the room, but a fire was going in the corner, giving heat off through the large room. Filled with tables and chairs, Lorelai tried to picture what this was in her mind. A long bar at the front was being cleaned by a man that Mia seemed to know very well.

"Lucas!" Mia called out, and the man looked up, a smile on his face as he walked out from behind the bar and enveloped Mia in a big hug.

"Mia, it's so good to see you!" He said, "I didn't expect to see you again for a few days! You were just here yesterday!"

Mai playfully slapped his strong shoulders and said, "What? You don't like to see this old woman more than you have to?" She then answered his question, "I have a visitor, and I thought she could use some of your wonderful soup."

Mia turned and gestured Lorelai to come. "Lorelai, I would like you to meet Luke Danes. He runs the Inn and Tavern here."

Lorelai looked up into his face, which seemed very grumpy as he extended his hand. The first time she had shaken hands with a man instead of curtsying to him. But she took it, his large hand in hers as he said, "It's nice to meet you, Lorelai."

Tipping her head down to show respect, she said, "And you too." She cringed as she didn't know how to address people without their titles. She was going to have to come up with some way to learn to talk with people outside of the castle.

Luke turned to Mia and asked, "Why is she staying with you?"

It made Lorelai upset that he was asking this woman when she was standing right there. She was used to this treatment – she was a woman, a daughter – and addressing her wasn't necessary because what she wanted or thought wasn't important. But that was back in the palace and with her father.

She wasn't about to be talked about while she was present. Not anymore. And she cleared her throat and said, "Why don't you ask me?" It came out as more of a command than a question.

Both Mia and Luke turned to look at this before quiet and rather unsure girl. Mia had a smile on her face, but Luke's face – well, Lorelai didn't know exactly what he was thinking until he said, "I didn't ask you because I wanted to ask Mia." His tone was short. And rude. And, it made Lorelai a little bit angry.

"I won't be spoken of like I am not right here." She said firmly, her hands clenching into fists. "If you wish to ask a question about me, ask me."

He responded right away, "Oh, we all know you're right here. No mistaking THAT fact."

She was more than angry as he insinuated that she was loud and annoying. "Then you should speak to me as if I am here. Just because…"

Mia's laughing pulled her mind away from this intolerable man in front of her. "Oh my," Mia put her hand on her chest, "You two are arguing like you're an old married couple."

Luke and Lorelai's eyes met and they both wrinkled their noses in disgust. And Lorelai says, "He was just being rude…"

"She was being annoying and loud…"

And then Mia laughed, leaned over and put Lorelai's arm in the crook of hers and started walking both of them out the door. "I'll send Lorelai around dinner for the soup?"

Luke mumbled something Lorelai couldn't quite make out, but just before the door closed, Mia called, "Thank you, Luke!"

They walked in silence to the end of the square before Lorelai said, "He made me so mad!" She heard the woman beside her chuckle, and Lorelai whipped her head to see Mia's eyes bright with laughter. Shocked, Lorelai asked, "What's so funny?"

Mia just shook her head, chuckling still, and said, "You two – that's what's so funny."


End file.
